Augmenting Social Interaction is a real challenge for teaching and communicating online. Connecting with learners at a distance is easier the more time I spend teaching with technology. Newcomers, however, can find the environment confusing. Tools need to exist to allow for quick connections to be formed.
On a side note, I disagree with the author's opening statement: "The best tools and services can do for real world interaction is to simply augment it. It can't be replicated nor replaced." Interaction in online learning is not about augmentation, replication or replacement. It's a redirection of the learning process based on effectiveness and access.